Related Links

Feminism and Heresy: The Construction of a Jewish Metanarrative

Women have, for hundreds of years, been associated with heresy. Orthodox Jewish feminism today is a pressing issue, as women's learning and public leadership has increased dramatically in recent decades; however, the majority of these developments are seen as "absolutely illegitimate" efforts that "pose grave danger" to traditional practice. The author explores the anti-feminist outlook of the prominent Rabbi Hershel (Zvi) Schachter, placing it in a broader historical and sociological Jewish landscape. This example serves as a case study for how the rise of feminism within contemporary religious life has engendered original theological responses and strategies not only among its supporters and ideologues, but among the "guardians" of the various religious traditions as well.